Pesticide application system

ABSTRACT

A pesticide application system includes an anchor conduit and a dispensing tube for dispensing a pressurized fluid pesticide into an interior cavity of a hollow wall. The anchor conduit functions to convey a pressurized fluid pesticide from an outside surface of the hollow wall into the interior cavity of the hollow wall and anchors the pressurized fluid pesticide dispensing tube to the hollow wall. The anchor conduit has an opening at an outer end for connecting the system to a pressurized fluid pesticide dispenser. The dispensing tube is mounted on an inner end of the anchor conduit to dispense pressurized fluid pesticide into the wall cavity. The anchor conduit of the system may be placed directly in the wall, in a cover plate on the wall or in a utility cover plate on the wall or the anchor conduit may be an integral part of a cover plate on the wall.

This patent application is a continuation in part of patent applicationSer. No. 10/127,116, filed on Apr. 22, 2002, now abandoned, entitled“PESTICIDE APPLICATION SYSTEM”, inventor Harold W. Aesch, Jr.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention relates to a pesticide application system forapplying pesticides within the cavities of hollow wall structures; andin particular, to a permanent, easily serviced, unobtrusive pesticideapplication system for applying pressurized fluid pesticides withinhollow wall structures that can be initially installed in a wall orretrofitted in a wall while maintaining the aesthetically pleasingappearance of the wall.

The treatment of cavities in the hollow walls of and behind and underthe cabinets of homes, offices, apartments, restaurants, and otherresidential and commercial buildings with pesticides for pest controlpresents numerous problems, especially, when the buildings are occupied.For many applications, the occupants desire to maintain the aestheticappearance of the outside surface of the wallboard or paneling formingthe hollow wall. Thus, visible holes in the wallboard or paneling of ahollow wall through which pesticides can be sprayed into the cavity of ahollow wall should be kept to a minimum or eliminated. In addition,these cavities may need repeated pesticide treatments over a period ofmonths or years and to save both time and expense it would be desirableto perform such repeated treatments through a minimum number oftreatment stations that are permanent and provide ready access to suchcavities to dispense pesticides throughout the cavities without undulydamaging or marring the outside surface of the wallboard or panelingforming the hollow wall.

One method currently used by the pest control industry to dispense fluidpesticides within hollow wall cavities utilizes tubular plugs that areinserted in holes made in the wallboard or paneling of a hollow wall.The fluid pesticides can be sprayed through the tubular plugs into thehollow wall cavities. However, the dispensing of fluid pesticides inhollow wall cavities through these tubular plugs presents severalproblems. First, the outer ends of the plugs are visible on the outsidesurface of the wallboard or paneling forming the hollow wall. Secondly,the area of pesticide coverage within the hollow wall cavity of thepesticide sprayed through each tubular plug is limited, especially, whenthe wall contains insulation, wiring, plumbing and other obstructions.Thus, in order to obtain full pesticide coverage within hollow wallcavities when utilizing these tubular plugs, numerous tubular plugs mustbe placed in the wall. The need for numerous tubular plugs detractsfurther from the appearance of the outside surface of the wall and theneed to service numerous treatment stations to assure complete pesticidecoverage within the hollow wall cavities increases the time required andpossibly the amount of pesticide applied to complete a treatment. Thus,there has remained a need for a permanent, easily and quickly serviced,unobtrusive system for effectively dispensing pressurized fluidpesticides throughout the cavities of hollow walls in such buildings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The pesticide application system of the subject invention provides asolution to the problems currently encountered in dispensing pressurizedfluid pesticides within the hollow walls of homes, offices, apartmentsand other residential and commercial buildings by providing a permanent,easily and quickly serviced, unobtrusive system for effectivelydispensing pressurized fluid pesticides throughout the cavities ofhollow walls in such buildings. The pesticide application system of thesubject invention can be installed in hollow walls when a building isbeing constructed or may be retrofitted into hollow walls of existingbuildings, even when the wall cavities contain insulation, e.g. blowingwool insulation, electrical wiring, plumbing, and other obstructions.

The pesticide application system of the subject invention includes ananchor conduit for anchoring the system to a hollow wall and adispensing tube for dispensing a pressurized fluid pesticide from thesystem into an interior cavity of a hollow wall. The anchor conduitfunctions to convey a pressurized fluid pesticide from an outsidesurface of a hollow wall into an interior cavity of the hollow wall andto anchor the dispensing tube within the interior cavity of the hollowwall. The anchor conduit has an opening at an outer end for connectingthe system to a pressurized fluid pesticide dispenser. The dispensingtube is mounted on an inner end of the anchor conduit to dispensepressurized fluid pesticide into a wall cavity. The anchor conduit ofthe system may be placed directly in the wallboard of a hollow wall, ina cover plate mounted on a hollow wall, or in a utility cover platemounted on a hollow wall. The anchor conduit may also be an integralpart of a cover plate or utility cover plate.

As used herein, the term “utility cover plate” includes wall mountedcover plates for equipment used in connection with the provision ofservices such as electrical power, lighting, telephone communications,and television and internet cable services, such as but not limited tothe cover plates for light switches, electrical receptacles (outlets),phone jacks, television jacks, cable connections, etc.

As used herein, the term “pesticides” includes insecticides,termiticides and other such toxic substances used to control orexterminate cockroaches, ants such as but not limited to carpenter ants,termites, and other such pests.

The term “fluid” is used herein in its broadest sense, including,without limitation, liquids, gels, foams, and gases that can be flowablydispensed under pressure from a pressurized aerosol can or otherpressurized source. However, the pesticide application system of thesubject invention is especially well suited for dispensing fluidpesticides as a spray such as but not limited to typical pesticidesprays dispensed from aerosol cans. For example, the pesticideapplication system of the subject invention can be used to dispense anaerosol pesticide spray marketed by Waterbury Companies, Inc. ofWaterbury, Conn., under the trade designation CB-40 EXTRA.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front-end view of the anchor conduit of a first embodimentof the pesticide application system of the subject invention installedin a wall.

FIG. 2 is a cross section through the wall of FIG. 1, takensubstantially along lines 2—2 of FIG. 1, to show the pesticideapplication system of FIG. 1 installed in the wall.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the pesticide application system of FIG. 1including a closure fitting not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is front view of an auxiliary cover plate of a second embodimentof the subject invention mounted on a utility cover plate.

FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 4, partially in section and substantiallyalong lines 5—5 of FIG. 4, to show the cross section of the auxiliarycover plate of the second embodiment of the subject invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view similar to FIG. 4, with the anchor conduit anddispensing tube of the system mounted within the auxiliary cover plateof the second embodiment of the subject invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded side view of the anchor conduit and a closurefitting of the second embodiment of the subject invention

FIG. 8 is a front-end view of the anchor conduit of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a transverse cross section through the anchor conduit of FIG.7 taken substantially along lines 9—9 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is front view of a utility cover plate of a third embodiment ofthe subject invention.

FIG. 11 is a partial side view of FIG. 10, partially in section andsubstantially along lines 11—11 of FIG. 10, to show the cross section ofthe upper portion of utility cover plate of the second embodiment of thesubject invention.

FIG. 12 is a front view of an auxiliary cover plate of a fourthembodiment of the subject invention mounted on a utility cover platewherein the anchor conduit is an integral part of the auxiliary coverplate.

FIG. 13 is a side view of FIG. 12, partially in section andsubstantially along lines 13—13 of FIG. 12, to show the cross section ofthe auxiliary cover plate of the fourth embodiment of the subjectinvention. The view is an exploded side view that also includes thedispensing tube and closure fitting of the fourth embodiment that arenot illustrated in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a front view of a utility cover plate of a fifth embodimentof the subject invention wherein the anchor conduit is an integral partof the utility cover plate.

FIG. 15 is a side view of FIG. 14, partially in section andsubstantially along lines 15—15 of FIG. 14, to show the cross section ofthe upper portion of utility cover plate of the fifth embodiment of thesubject invention. The view is an exploded side view that also includesthe dispensing tube and closure fitting of the fifth embodiment that arenot illustrated in FIG. 14.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a first embodiment 20 of the pesticideapplication system of the subject invention. The pesticide applicationsystem 20 includes an anchor conduit 22, a dispensing tube 24, andpreferably, a closure fitting 26 for sealing the pesticide applicationsystem when the pesticide application system is not in use. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the anchor conduit 22 is anchored within a hole 28 in thecovering layer 30 forming one side of a hollow wall 32 (the coveringlayer forming the other side of the hollow wall is not shown) and thedispensing tube 24 is housed within a cavity 34 of the hollow wallbetween the two covering layers the covering layers 30 may be made fromvarious construction materials that overlay the framework of a buildingto form a wall, such as but not limited to, various types of wallboard,plywood, solid wood boards, paneling, insulating boards, sheathing, andmasonry walls. The hollow wall 32 may be an exterior wall or an interiorwall of a building. Where the hollow wall 32 is an exterior wall, theanchor conduit 22 may be anchored within a hole in the covering layer onthe interior or exterior side of the wall.

The anchor conduit 22 is greater in length than the thickness of thewallboard 30 and has a cylindrical hole 36 that extends from an outerend 38 of the anchor conduit 22 to an inner end 40 of the anchorconduit. The cylindrical hole 36 is used to convey a pressurized fluidpesticide from an outer surface of the hollow wall 32 into the internalcavity 34 of the hollow wall. The outer end 38 of the anchor conduit 22has an annular flange 42 that is substantially flush with the outersurface of the hollow wall 32 when the anchor conduit is installedwithin the hole 28 of the hollow wall. A midportion 44 of the anchorconduit 22 has a generally cylindrical outer surface with longitudinallyextending ribs 46 projecting outward from the cylindrical surface thatare embedded in the wallboard surrounding the hole 28 to anchor theanchor conduit to the wallboard 30. An inner end portion 48 of theanchor conduit 22 is tapered from the midportion 44 to the inner end 40of the anchor conduit and has a generally conical outer surface with anannular flange 50, preferably a frustoconical shaped annular flange, foranchoring the dispensing tube 24 to the anchor conduit 22 and by meansof the anchor conduit to the wallboard 30 of the hollow wall 32.Preferably, the anchor conduit 22 is made of a polymeric material suchas but not limited to a polyvinyl chloride polymer. A typical anchorconduit 22 is about 1 to about 1½ inches in length and has a cylindricalhole 36 about ⅛ of an inch in diameter.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pesticide application system 20 may include aclosure fitting 26 to seal the outer end of the cylindrical hole 36 inthe anchor conduit 22. While the closure fitting 26 shown in FIG. 3 is asimple plug that is pushed or inserted into the hole 36, other removableclosure fittings may be used to seal the outer end of the anchor conduithole 36 when the pesticide application system is not in use.

Although the dispensing tube 24 may be longer, the dispensing tube 24 istypically from about 1 to about 10 feet long and preferably from about 3to about 10 feet long. Although, a fitting such as a plug may be used toclose the far end of the dispensing tube 24, typically, the tubularsidewall of the dispensing tube 24 is heat sealed together at the farend 52 of the dispensing tube to close the far end of the dispensingtube. The tubular sidewall of the dispensing tube 24 is provided withlongitudinally spaced apart openings 54 along the length of thedispensing tube through which a pressurized fluid pesticide is sprayedor otherwise dispensed from the tube into the wall cavity 34. Thespacing and size of the openings 54 may vary depending on the type offluid pesticide being dispensed and the pesticide coverage desired.However, spacings of about 4 to about 6 inches are typical. In additionto being spaced apart along the length of the dispensing tube 24, theopenings 54 may also be located at different locations around thecircumference of the dispensing tube 24, e.g. locations spaced apart180°, 90°, or 60°, to dispense the pressurized fluid pesticide into thecavity 34 through or substantially through a dispensing pattern of up to360° relative to the longitudinal centerline of the dispensing tube.

The dispensing tube 24 is typically made of an inexpensive polymericmaterial such as but not limited to a polyvinyl chloride polymer. Thedispensing tube 24 has an external diameter about equal to or less thanthe diameter of the hole 28 in the wallboard 30 so that the dispensingtube can be easily fed into the cavity 34 through the hole 28. If thedispensing tube 24 is compressible, the external diameter of thedispensing tube may be slightly greater than the diameter of the hole28. However, for ease of installation, the external diameter of thedispensing tube 24 is less than the internal diameter of the hole 28,e.g. a diameter of about ¼ of an inch or less for a hole {fraction(5/16)} of an inch or greater in diameter. The dispensing tube 24 iselastic and the internal diameter of the dispensing tube 24 in anunexpanded state is less than the diameter of the annular flange 50 onthe inner end portion of the anchor conduit 22 so that after the end ofthe dispensing tube is forced over the annular flange 50, the dispensingtube 24 is firmly secured to the anchor conduit 22. The dispensing tube24 is flexible so that the dispensing tube can be passed through thehole 28 in the wallboard 30 and through the wall cavity 34. Theflexibility of the dispensing tube 24 not only enables the dispensingtube to bend up, down and/or sideways once the dispensing tube haspassed through the hole 28 into the cavity 34, but also enables thedispensing tube to pass around electrical wiring, plumbing, and otherutilities or obstructions within the cavity 34. In addition, to beingflexible, preferably, the dispensing tube 24 is sufficiently stiff topass through loose fill insulation within the cavity, such as but notlimited to glass fiber blowing wool.

While the anchor conduit 22 is unobtrusive, the anchor conduit 22 withits closure fitting 26 is still visible on the outer surface of a wall.However, the dispensing tube 24 enables the anchor conduit 22 to belocated in an inconspicuous location, such as but not limited to,adjacent a baseboard of a wall, adjacent a juncture of a wall with aceiling, adjacent a utility cover plate on a wall, or in otherinconspicuous locations. With the anchor conduit 22 in any of theselocations a dispensing tube 24 of a selected length to provide thepesticide coverage desired, e.g. 8 to 10 feet long for installationsadjacent the baseboard or ceiling, can be passed up or down through thewall cavity and around obstructions in the wall cavity to dispensepesticide throughout the entire cavity 34 or selected portions of thecavity.

FIGS. 4 to 9 illustrate a second embodiment 120 of the pesticideapplication system of the subject invention. The pesticide applicationsystem 120 includes a wall mounted cover plate 122, an anchor conduit124, a dispensing tube 126, and preferably, a closure fitting 128 forsealing the pesticide application system when the pesticide applicationsystem is not in use.

The wall mounted cover plate 122 is an auxiliary cover plate that ismounted on a conventional utility cover plate 130 such as but notlimited to the light switch cover plate of FIGS. 4 to 6. As shown inFIGS. 4 to 6, the utility cover plate 130 is mounted on the outsidesurface of a covering layer 132 forming one side of a hollow wall 134(the covering layer forming the other side of the hollow wall is notshown) and the dispensing tube 126 is housed within a cavity 136 of thehollow wall 134 between the two covering layers. The covering layers 132may be made from various construction materials that overlay theframework of a building to form a wall, such as but not limited to,various types of wallboard, plywood, solid wood boards, paneling,insulating boards, sheathing, and masonry walls. The hollow wall 134 maybe an exterior wall or an interior wall of a building. Where the hollowwall 134 is an exterior wall, the auxilary cover plate 122 may bemounted on the interior or exterior side of the wall.

The auxiliary cover plate 122 has a channel 138 extending along thebottom of the auxiliary cover plate for mounting the auxiliary coverplate on an edge portion 140 of the utility cover plate 130. The channel138 includes a rear flange 142 and a front flange 144. When theauxiliary cover plate 122 is mounted on an edge portion of the utilitycover plate 130, the rear flange 142 extends between the utility coverplate 130 and the wallboard 132 of the hollow wall 134. When theauxiliary cover plate is mounted on the utility cover plate 130, thefront flange 144 fits over the front of the edge portion of the utilitycover plate and, preferably, has an internal contour corresponding tothe external contour of the edge portion of the utility cover plate.Preferably, the channel 138 fits tightly over the edge portion of theutility cover plate 130 to hold the auxiliary cover plate in place andmay be resilient to better grip the edge portion of the utility coverplate. In addition, the rear flange 142 becomes clamped between the edgeportion of the utility cover plate 130 and the wallboard 132 when theutility cover plate is secured to the wall e.g. by being fastened toelectrical box 146.

The auxiliary cover plate 122 also includes a hole 148 passing from thefront to the back of the auxiliary cover plate. In a preferredembodiment, the hole 148 has three axially aligned portions. An outerportion 150 of the hole is cylindrical and forms a recess in the frontof the auxiliary cover plate. An intermediate portion 152 of the hole ishexagonal in cross section and forms a recess for receiving a similarlyshaped portion of the anchor conduit 124. An inner portion 154 of thehole is cylindrical and forms the inner surface of a collar 156 thatanchors the anchor conduit 124 to the auxiliary cover plate 120.

The anchor conduit 124 has a cylindrical hole 157 that extends from theouter end 158 of the anchor conduit to the inner end 160 of the anchorconduit. The cylindrical hole 157 is used to convey a pressurized fluidpesticide from the outer surface of the hollow wall 134 into theinternal cavity 136 of the hollow wall. Preferably, the outer end 158 ofthe anchor conduit 124 has a pair of generally opposed and axiallyoffset flanges 162 that function as threads. The closure fitting 128 isinternally threaded and can be threaded onto the offset flanges 162 toseal the pesticide application system when the pesticide applicationsystem is not in use and unthreaded from the offset flanges 162 toexpose the hole 157 for applying a pressurized fluid pesticide throughthe system. A flange 164 with a hexagonal peripheral edge is spacedinwardly from the offset flanges 162. When the anchor conduit is mountedin the auxiliary cover plate 122, the hexagonal flange 164 is receivedwithin and forms a tight fit with the hexagonal shaped intermediateportion 152 of the hole 148 in the auxiliary cover plate 122. The anchorconduit 124 has an annular groove 166 intermediate the hexagonal flange164 and an inner end portion 168 of the anchor conduit. When the anchorconduit 124 is fully inserted into the hole 148 in the auxiliary coverplate, at the same time the hexagonal flange 164 is received within thehexagonal portion 152 of the hole 148, the collar 156 of the auxiliarycover plate 122 snaps into position and fits tightly in the annulargroove 166 of the anchor conduit to secure the anchor conduit to theauxiliary cover plate. The inner end portion 168 of the anchor conduit124 is tapered from the annular groove 166 to the inner end 160 of theanchor conduit and has a generally conical outer surface with an annularflange 170, preferably a frustoconical shaped annular flange, foranchoring the dispensing tube 126 to the anchor conduit 124 and to thehollow wall 134 by means of the anchor conduit 124, the auxiliary coverplate 122, and the utility cover plate 130. As shown in FIG. 6, with theauxiliary cover plate 122 mounted on an outer peripheral edge portion ofthe utility cover plate 130, the anchor conduit 124 anchored within thehole 148 of the auxiliary cover plate 130, and the dispensing tube 126mounted on the anchor conduit, neither the anchor conduit 124 nor thedispensing tube 126 extend into or through the electrical box 146 towhich the utility cover plate 130 is secured. Instead, the anchorconduit 124 and dispensing tube 126 bypass the electrical box 146 towhich the utility cover elate 130 is secured.

Although the dispensing tube 126 may be longer, the dispensing tube 126is typically from about 1 to about 10 feet long and preferably fromabout 3 to about 10 feet long. Although, a fitting such as a plug may beused to close the far end of the dispensing tube 126, typically, thetubular sidewall of the dispensing tube 126 is heat sealed together atthe far end 172 of the dispensing tube to close the far end of thedispensing tube. The tubular sidewall of the dispensing tube 126 isprovided with longitudinally spaced apart openings 174 along the lengthof the dispensing tube through which a pressurized fluid pesticide issprayed or dispensed from the tube into the wall cavity 136. The spacingand size of the openings 174 may vary depending on the type of fluidpesticide being dispensed and the pesticide coverage desired. However,spacings of about 4 to about 6 inches are typical. In addition to beingspaced apart along the length of the dispensing tube 126, the openings174 may also be located at different locations around the circumferenceof the dispensing tube 126, e.g. locations spaced apart 180°, 90°, or60°, to dispense the pressurized fluid pesticide into the cavity 136through or substantially through a dispensing pattern of up to 360°relative to the longitudinal centerline of the dispensing tube.

The dispensing tube 126 is typically made of an inexpensive polymericmaterial such as but not limited to a polyvinyl chloride polymer. Thedispensing tube 126 has an external diameter less than the diameter ofthe hole 176 in the wallboard 132 so that the dispensing tube can beeasily fed into the cavity 136 through the hole 176. If the dispensingtube 126 is compressible, the external diameter of the dispensing tubemay be slightly greater than the diameter of the hole 176. However, withthe auxiliary cover plate 122 covering the hole 176, the hole can berelatively large and there should be no need to squeeze the dispensingtube 126 through the hole 176 and thereby make the installationdifficult. The dispensing tube 126 is elastic and the internal diameterof the dispensing tube 126 in an unexpanded state is less than thediameter of the annular flange 170 on the inner end portion of theanchor conduit 124 so that after the end of the dispensing tube isforced over the annular flange 170, the dispensing tube 126 is firmlysecured to the anchor conduit 124. The dispensing tube 126 is flexibleso that the dispensing tube can be passed through the hole 176 in thewallboard 132 and through the wall cavity 136. The flexibility of thedispensing tube 126 not only enables the dispensing tube to bend up,down and/or sideways once the dispensing tube has passed through thehole 176 into the cavity 136, but also enables the dispensing tube topass around electrical wiring, plumbing, and other utilities ofobstructions within the cavity 136. In addition, to being flexible,preferably, the dispensing tube 126 is sufficiently stiff to passthrough loose fill insulation within the cavity, such as but not limitedto glass fiber blowing wool. Since the dispensing tube 126 of thepesticide application system can pass around electrical wiring,plumbing, and other utilities or obstructions within the cavity 136; canbe any selected length to accomplish the task; and can be passed fromthe location of the utility plate cover 130 up and/or down through thewall cavity, the system 120 is not limited to dispensing pesticide onlyin the vicinity of the utility cover plate, but can be used to dispensepesticide throughout the entire cavity 136 or through selected portionsof the cavity.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a utility cover plate of a third embodiment220 of the pesticide application system of the subject invention. Inthis embodiment of the subject invention, a utility cover plate 222includes a hole 248, for mounting the anchor conduit 124, thatcorresponds to the hole 148 in the auxiliary cover plate 122 of thesecond embodiment of the invention thereby eliminating the need for anauxiliary cover plate to secure the anchor conduit 124 to the wall andcover the hole in the wall through which the dispensing tube 126 passes.In a preferred embodiment, the hole 248 has three axially alignedportions. An outer portion 250 of the hole is cylindrical and forms arecess in the front of the auxiliary cover plate. An intermediateportion 252 of the hole is hexagonal in cross section and forms a recessfor receiving a similarly shaped portion of the anchor conduit 124. Aninner portion 254 the hole is cylindrical and forms the inner surface ofa collar 256 that anchors the anchor conduit 124 to the utility coverplate 222. Other than eliminating the need for the auxiliary cover plate122 by incorporating the hole for mounting the anchor conduit 124 intothe utility cover plate 222, the third embodiment of the subjectinvention is the same as the second embodiment of the subject inventionshown and described in connection with FIGS. 4 to 9.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a fourth embodiment 320 of the pesticideapplication system of the subject invention. The pesticide applicationsystem 320 includes a wall mounted cover plate 322 with an integralanchor conduit 324, a dispensing tube 326, and preferably, a closurefitting 328 for sealing the pesticide application system when thepesticide application system is not in use.

The wall mounted cover plate 322 is an auxiliary cover plate that ismounted on a conventional utility cover plate 330 such as but notlimited to the light switch cover plate of FIGS. 12 and 13. As shown inFIGS. 12 and 13, the utility cover plate 330 is mounted on the outsidesurface of a covering layer 332 forming one side of a hollow wall 334(the covering layer forming the other side of the hollow wall is notshown) and the dispensing tube 326 is housed within a cavity 336 of thehollow wall 334 between the two covering layers. The covering layers 332may be made from various construction materials that overlay theframework of a building to form a wall, such as but not limited to,various types of wallboard, plywood, solid wood boards, paneling,insulating boards, sheathing, and masonry walls. The hollow wall 334 maybe an exterior wall or an interior wall of a building. Where the hollowwall 334 is an exterior wall, the auxiliary cover plate 322 may bemounted on the interior or exterior side of the wall.

The auxiliary cover plate 322 has a channel 338 extending along thebottom of the auxiliary cover plate for mounting the auxiliary coverplate on an edge portion 340 of the utility cover plate 330. The channel338 includes a rear flange 342 and a front flange 344. When theauxiliary cover plate 322 is mounted on an edge portion of the utilitycover plate 330, the rear flange 342 extends between the utility coverplate 330 and the wallboard 332 of the hollow wall 334. When theauxiliary cover plate is mounted on the utility cover plate 330, thefront flange 344 fits over the front of the edge portion of the utilitycover plate and, preferably, has an internal contour corresponding tothe external contour of the edge portion of the utility cover plate.Preferably, the channel 338 fits tightly over the edge portion of theutility cover plate 330 to hold the auxiliary cover plate in place andmay be resilient to better grip the edge portion of the utility coverplate. In addition, the rear flange 342 becomes clamped between the edgeportion of the utility cover plate 330 and the wallboard 332 when theutility cover plate is secured to the wall e.g. by being fastened toelectrical box 346.

The auxiliary cover plate 322 also includes a hole 348 passing from thefront to the back of the auxiliary cover plate through the integralanchor conduit 324. In a preferred embodiment, the hole 348 has twoaxially aligned portions. An outer portion 350 of the hole iscylindrical and forms a recess in the front of the auxiliary coverplate. An inner portion 352 of the hole is cylindrical, passes throughthe integral anchor conduit 324, and is used to convey a pressurizedfluid pesticide from the outer surface of the hollow wall 334 into theinternal cavity 336 of the hollow wall.

The closure fitting 328 has a cap 354 that is received within the outercylindrical portion 350 of the hole 348 and a conical portion 356 thatis pushed into the outer end of the inner portion 352 of the hole 348 toseal the pesticide application system when the pesticide applicationsystem is not in use and pulled from the inner portion 352 of the hole348 to expose the inner portion 352 of the hole 348 for applying apressurized fluid pesticide through the system. The integral anchorconduit 324 is tapered from an outer end to an inner end 360 of theanchor conduit and has a generally conical outer surface with an annularflange 362, preferably a frustoconical shaped annular flange, foranchoring the dispensing tube 326 to the anchor conduit 324 and to thehollow wall 334 by means of the anchor conduit 324, the auxiliary coverplate 322, and the utility cover plate 330. As shown in FIG. 13, withthe auxiliary cover plate 322 mounted on an outer peripheral edgeportion of the utility cover plate 330, neither the integral anchorconduit 324 nor the dispensing tube 326 extend into or through theelectrical box 346 to which the utility cover plate 330 is secured.Instead, the anchor conduit 324 and dispensing tube 326 bypass theelectrical box 346 to which the utility cover plate 330 is secured.

Although the dispensing tube 326 may be longer, the dispensing tube 326is typically from about 1 to about 10 feet long and preferably fromabout 3 to about 10 feet long. Although, a fitting such as a plug may beused to close the far end of the dispensing tube 326, typically, thetubular sidewall of the dispensing tube 326 is heat sealed together atthe far end 364 of the dispensing tube to close the far end of thedispensing tube. The tubular sidewall of the dispensing tube 326 isprovided with longitudinally spaced apart openings 368 along the lengthof the dispensing tube through which a pressurized fluid pesticide issprayed or otherwise dispensed from the tube into the wall cavity 336.The spacing and size of the openings 368 may vary depending on the typeof fluid pesticide being dispensed and the pesticide coverage desired.However, spacings of about 4 to about 6 inches are typical. In additionto being spaced apart along the length of the dispensing tube 326, theopenings 368 may also be located at different locations around thecircumference of the dispensing tube 326, e.g. locations spaced apart180°, 90°, or 60°, to dispense the pressurized fluid pesticide into thecavity 336 through or substantially through a dispensing pattern of upto 360° relative to the longitudinal centerline of the dispensing tube.

The dispensing tube 326 is typically made of an inexpensive polymericmaterial such as but not limited to a polyvinyl chloride polymer. Thedispensing tube 326 has an external diameter less than the diameter ofthe hole 370 in the wallboard 332 so that the dispensing tube can beeasily fed into the cavity 336 through the hole 370. If the dispensingtube 326 is compressible, the external diameter of the dispensing tubemay be slightly greater than the diameter of the hole 370. However, withthe auxiliary cover plate 322 covering the hole 370, the hole can berelatively large and there should be no need to squeeze the dispensingtube 326 through the hole 370 and thereby make the installationdifficult. The dispensing tube 326 is elastic and the internal diameterof the dispensing tube 326 in an unexpanded state is less than thediameter of the annular flange 362 on the inner end portion of theanchor conduit 324 so that after the end of the dispensing tube isforced over the annular flange 362, the dispensing tube 326 is firmlysecured to the anchor conduit 324. The dispensing tube 326 is flexibleso that the dispensing tube can be passed through the hole 370 in thewallboard 332 and through the wall cavity 336. The flexibility of thedispensing tube 326 not only enables the dispensing tube to bend up,down or sideways once the dispensing tube has passed through the hole370 into the cavity 336, but also enables the dispensing tube to passaround electrical wiring, plumbing, and other utilities or obstructionswithin the cavity 336. In addition, to being flexible, preferably, thedispensing tube 326 is sufficiently stiff to pass through loose fillinsulation within the cavity, such as but not limited to blowing wool.Since the dispensing tube 326 of the pesticide application system canpass around electrical wiring, plumbing, and other utilities ofobstructions within the cavity 336; can be any selected length toaccomplish the task; and can be passed from the location of the utilityplate cover 330 up and/or down through the wall cavity, the system 320is not limited to dispensing pesticide only in the vicinity of theutility cover plate, but can be used to dispense pesticide throughoutthe entire cavity 336 or through selected portions of the cavity.

FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate a fifth embodiment 420 of the pesticideapplication system of the subject invention. In this embodiment of thesubject invention, a utility cover plate 422 includes an integral anchorconduit 424 that corresponds to the integral anchor conduit 324 of theauxiliary cover plate 322 of the fourth embodiment of the inventionthereby eliminating the need for the auxiliary cover plate of the fourthembodiment of the invention. The pesticide application system 420 alsoincludes a dispensing tube 426 and a closure fitting 428. Other thaneliminating the need for the auxiliary cover plate 322 by incorporatingthe anchor conduit 424 into the utility cover plate 422, the fifthembodiment of the subject invention is the same as the fourth embodimentof the subject invention shown and described in connection with FIGS. 12and 13.

In describing the invention, certain embodiments have been used toillustrate the invention and the practices thereof. However, theinvention is not limited to these specific embodiments as otherembodiments and modifications within the spirit of the invention willreadily occur to those skilled in the art on reading this specification.Thus, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed, but is to be limited only by the claims appendedhereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pesticide application system for dispensing apressurized fluid pesticide within a hollow wall, comprising: a hollowwall, the hollow wall having an interior cavity; an anchor conduitanchoring the pesticide application system relative to the hollow walland providing a fluid pesticide conduit for conveying a pressurizedfluid pesticide from an outside surface of the hollow wall into theinterior cavity of the hollow wall; the anchor conduit being anchored ina hole of the hollow wall, which passes from the outside surface of thehollow wall into the interior cavity of the hollow wall; the anchorconduit having an annular flange in contact with the outside surface ofthe hollow wall; the anchor conduit being directly secured to the hollowwall solely by means on the anchor conduit that is embedded intowallboard of the hollow wall surrounding the hole; a dispensing tubewithin the cavity of the hollow wall for dispensing a pressurized fluidpesticide from the pesticide application system into the internal cavityof the hollow wall; the dispensing tube having an external diameter lessthan the internal diameter of the hole in the hollow wall so that thedispensing tube can be fed into the internal cavity of the hollow wallthrough the hole; the dispensing tube being flexible for bending thedispensing tube to position the dispensing tube within the cavity of thehollow wall and to enable the dispensing tube to pass aroundobstructions within the cavity of the hollow wall; the dispensing tubebeing at least three feet in length; the dispensing tube having aplurality of longitudinally spaced apart openings along the length ofthe dispensing tube for dispensing a pressurized fluid pesticide; theopenings along the length of the dispensing tube being arranged todispense a pressurized fluid pesticide from the dispensing tube in asubstantially 360° pattern perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline ofthe dispensing tube; and the anchor conduit having a first end that isaccessible on an outside surface of the hollow wall; the first end ofthe anchor conduit having an opening for connecting the pesticideapplication system to a pressurized fluid pesticide dispensing means;the anchor conduit having a second end that extends into the hollowwall; and the dispensing tube being mounted on the second end of theanchor conduit.
 2. The pesticide application system according to claim1, wherein: the pesticide application system includes a removablefitting for sealing the opening in the first end of the anchor conduitwhen the pesticide application system is not being used.
 3. A pesticideapplication system, comprising: a utility cover plate secured to anelectrical box in a hollow wall and mounted on an outside surface of thehollow wall; an auxiliary cover plate mounted on an outer peripheraledge portion of the utility cover plate and extending outward from theouter peripheral edge portion of the utility cover plate along theoutside surface of the hollow wall to cover a portion of the outsidesurface of the hollow wall adjacent the utility cover plate; theauxiliary cover plate having an anchor conduit extending into an openingin the hollow wall for anchoring the pesticide application systemrelative to the hollow wall and providing a fluid pesticide conduit forconveying a pressurized fluid pesticide from an outside surface of thehollow wall into an interior cavity of the hollow wall that does notextend into or through the electrical box; a dispensing tube fordispensing a pressurized fluid pesticide from the pesticide applicationsystem into the interior cavity of the hollow wall; the dispensing tubebeing flexible for bending the dispensing tube to position thedispensing tube within the hollow wall cavity and to enable thedispensing tube to pass around obstructions within the hollow wallcavity; and the dispensing tube having a plurality of longitudinallyspaced apart openings along a length of the dispensing tube fordispensing a pressurized fluid pesticide; and the anchor conduit havinga first end that is accessible on the outside surface of a hollow wall;the first end of the anchor conduit having an opening for connecting thepesticide application system to a pressurized fluid pesticide dispensingmeans; the anchor conduit having a second end that extends into theopening in the hollow wall; and the dispensing tube being mounted on thesecond end of the anchor conduit, not extending into or through theelectrical box, and being located within the interior cavity of thehollow wall for dispensing pesticide within the interior cavity of thehollow wall.
 4. The pesticide application system according to claim 3,wherein: the pesticide application system includes a removable fittingfor sealing the opening in the first end of the anchor conduit when thepesticide application system is not being used.
 5. The pesticideapplication system according to claim 3, wherein: the dispensing tube isat least three feet in length; and the openings along the length of thedispensing tube are arranged to dispense a pressurized fluid from thedispensing tube in a substantially 360° pattern perpendicular to alongitudinal centerline of the dispensing tube.
 6. The pesticideapplication system according to claim 3, wherein: the utility coverplate is selected from a group consisting of an electrical switch coverplate, an electrical outlet cover plate, and a telephone jack coverplate.
 7. The pesticide application system according to claim 3,wherein: the auxiliary cover plate has a hole therein for receiving theanchor conduit; and the anchor conduit is a plug that extends into andis anchored within the hole in the auxiliary cover plate.
 8. Thepesticide application system according to claim 7, wherein: thepesticide application system includes a removable fitting for sealingthe opening in the first end of the anchor conduit when the pesticideapplication system is not being used.
 9. The pesticide applicationsystem according to claim 7, wherein: the dispensing tube is at leastthree feet in length; and the openings along the length of thedispensing tube are arranged to dispense a pressurized fluid from thedispensing tube in a substantially 360° pattern perpendicular to alongitudinal centerline of the dispensing tube.
 10. The pesticideapplication system according to claim 7, wherein: the utility coverplate is selected from a group consisting of an electrical switch coverplate, an electrical outlet cover plate, and a telephone jack coverplate.
 11. The pesticide application system according to claim 3,wherein: the anchor conduit is an integral part of the auxiliary coverplate.
 12. The pesticide application system according to claim 11,wherein: the pesticide application system includes a removable fittingfor sealing the opening in the first end of the anchor conduit when thepesticide application system is not being used.
 13. The pesticideapplication system according to claim 11, wherein: the dispensing tubeis at least three feet in length; and the openings along the length ofthe dispensing tube are arranged to dispense a pressurized fluid fromthe dispensing tube in a substantially 360° pattern perpendicular to alongitudinal centerline of the dispensing tube.
 14. The pesticideapplication system according to claim 11, wherein: the utility coverplate is selected from a group consisting of an electrical switch coverplate, an electrical outlet cover plate, and a telephone jack coverplate.
 15. A pesticide application system, comprising: a utility coverplate secured to an electrical box in a hollow wall and mounted on anoutside surface of the hollow wall; the utility cover plate having ananchor conduit located adjacent an outer peripheral edge portion of theutility cover plate and extending into an opening in the hollow wall foranchoring the pesticide application system relative to the hollow walland providing a fluid pesticide conduit for conveying a pressurizedfluid pesticide from an outside surface of the hollow wall into aninterior cavity of the hollow wall that does not extend into or throughthe electrical box; a dispensing tube for dispensing a pressurized fluidpesticide from the pesticide application system into the interior cavityof the hollow wall; the dispensing tube being flexible for bending thedispensing tube to position the dispensing tube within the hollow wallcavity and to enable the dispensing tube to pass around obstructionswithin the hollow wall cavity; and the dispensing tube having aplurality of longitudinally spaced apart openings along a length of thedispensing tube for dispensing a pressurized fluid pesticide; and theanchor conduit having a first end that is accessible on the outsidesurface of a hollow wall; the first end of the anchor conduit having anopening for connecting the pesticide application system to a pressurizedfluid pesticide dispensing means; the anchor conduit having a second endthat extends into the hollow wall; and the dispensing tube being mountedon the second end of the anchor conduit, not extending into or throughthe electrical box, and being located within the interior cavity of thehollow wall for dispensing pesticide within the interior cavity of thehollow wall.
 16. The pesticide application system according to claim 15,wherein: the pesticide application system includes a removable fittingfor sealing the opening in the first end of the anchor conduit when thepesticide application system is not being used.
 17. The pesticideapplication system according to claim 15, wherein: the dispensing tubeis at least three feet in length; and the openings along the length ofthe dispensing tube are arranged to dispense a pressurized fluid fromthe dispensing tube in a substantially 360° pattern perpendicular to alongitudinal centerline of the dispensing tube.
 18. The pesticideapplication system according to claim 15, wherein: the utility coverplate is selected from a group consisting of an electrical switch coverplate, an electrical outlet cover plate, and a telephone jack coverplate.
 19. The pesticide application system according to claim 15,wherein: the utility cover plate has a hole therein for receiving theanchor conduit; and the anchor conduit being a plug that extends intoand is anchored within the hole in the utility cover plate.
 20. Thepesticide application system according to claim 19, wherein: thepesticide application system includes a removable fitting for sealingthe opening in the first end of the anchor conduit when the pesticideapplication system is not being used.
 21. The pesticide applicationsystem according to claim 19, wherein: the dispensing tube is at leastthree feet in length; and the openings along the length of thedispensing tube are arranged to dispense a pressurized fluid from thedispensing tube in a substantially 360° pattern perpendicular to alongitudinal centerline of the dispensing tube.
 22. The pesticideapplication system according to claim 19, wherein: the utility coverplate is selected from a group consisting of an electrical switch coverplate, an electrical outlet cover plate, and a telephone jack coverplate.
 23. The pesticide application system according to claim 15,wherein: the anchor conduit is an integral part of the utility coverplate.
 24. The pesticide application system according to claim 23,wherein: the pesticide application system includes a removable fittingfor sealing the opening in the first end of the anchor conduit when thepesticide application system is not being used.
 25. The pesticideapplication system according to claim 23, wherein: the dispensing tubeis at least three feet in length; and the openings along the length ofthe dispensing tube are arranged to dispense a pressurized fluid fromthe dispensing tube in a substantially 360° pattern perpendicular to alongitudinal centerline of the dispensing tube.
 26. The pesticideapplication system according to claim 23, wherein: the utility coverplate is selected from a group consisting of an electrical switch coverplate, an electrical outlet cover plate, and a telephone jack coverplate.